With a Swish and a Flick: Year One
by StormyRebel
Summary: Lily and James Potter didn't have a boy, but a girl. Her name is Meredith Lily Potter, and she became 'The-Girl-Who-Lived'. With a strong magical aura that keeps popping up, and a mystical, egg at her side, follow her and her friends through the years of Hogwarts. Fem!Harry. Strong!Harry. Smart!Harry. Rated M because I'm paranoid.
1. Shopping in Dragon Alley

**Disclaimer:** I do not to claim anything of the Harry Potter universe. All right are owned and reserved for J. K. Rowling – the mastermind that made up the Harry Potter universe.

**Summary:** Lily and James Potter didn't have a boy, but a girl. Her name is Meredith Lily Evans Potter, and became 'The-Girl-Who-Lived'. With magic inside her that keeps exploding things, and a mystical, magic egg at her side, follow her and her friends through the years of Hogwarts. Fem!Harry. Strong!Harry. Smart!Harry

**Author's Note:** Hey there potential reader! My name is StormyRebel, and this is my first Harry Potter story. Now, I'm nowhere near a newbie on this site, but there are still things I am unfamiliar with, so if you see any, please point them out for me.

I thought up this story as I was surfing YouTube and came across some Harry Potter music, and the story just wouldn't go away, so I had to write it. I know it may seem a bit bland the first few chapters, but please read a few chapters before judging it. Harry – or Meredith in this story – will be sorted into Gryffindor. She will be a smart witch, but will have a few problems she have to overcome. She will, of course, be on the Quidditch team. Originally I thought of pairing her with a younger Cedric Diggory, but as I continued the story, I realized that I would much rather see her with Seamus. So that's what I'm going to do. Although, they won't be 'together' for a while – they're online eleven/twelve years old as the story starts. It will most likely start out with a friendship.

It should be noted that there are paragraphs in the start of this story that are greatly inspired or directly copied from the book. I will try, however, to keep that to a minimum, but some things are hard to rephrase.

Well, on to the story.

**Chapter 1:** Shopping in Dragon Alley

* * *

"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."

Meredith Lily Evans Potter had never done anything exciting. The closest thing she had come to that was a few weeks ago when she went to the zoo, and that didn't exactly end well.

She had lived her whole life under the terrorizing rule of the Dursley family, which hadn't left many pleasant memories. But now a whole new world was opening up for her; _her_ world. She had always felt different, and never really felt like she belonged. Well, guess what? That's because she didn't. She was a witch! So of course she wouldn't fit in living with muggles.

She looked down the magical street in amazement, looking at the people just as much as the stores and their goods. She almost jumped in joy when she thought of everything she could learn! She had been a 'book-worm' as long as she could remember. When she was little she had thought that Aunt Petunia and her family didn't like her because she wasn't clever enough, so she had done anything in her power to get smarter. And boy did it work: In her muggle-school she had been at the top of her year. She did all her homework, and more, and had done everything she could do to get extra credit. Bloody hell, if she wasn't going to Hogwarts, she could probably get into universities like Cambridge or Oxford when it was time.

"Still got yer letter, Meredith?" Hagrid talking snapped her out of her drooling trance.

She quickly took the parchment envelope out of her pocket. "Yeah, right here. Hagrid, I do prefer being called Lily, though."

"Ah, sorry 'bout tha'," the half-giant said sheepishly. "Just been thinking of yer as Meredith all thes' years. Named after yer Grandmother, ye know. She may been a Muggle, but she we' a great lady, she was."

"Really?" Lily hadn't been told that. She still preferred Lily: it made her feel closer to her late mother, somehow.

"Ye, really." Hagrid shook his head, "don' worry 'bout that. I'll get used to call ye Lily soon enough." His eyes twinkled as he looked at her, "don't be surprised if ye frighten a few of the teacher's at ol' Hogwarts. You're the spitting image of ye mum. No matter; There's a list there of everything yeh need." He nodded towards the letter in her hands.

Lily unfolded a second piece of paper she hadn't noticed the night before, and read:

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**

**UNIFORM**

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

**COURSE BOOKS**

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1), _by Miranda Goshawk_

A History of Magic, _by Bathilda Bagshot_

Magical Theory, _by Adalbert Waffling_

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration, _by Emetic Switch_

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, _by Phyllida Spore_

Magical Drafts and Potions, _by Arsenius Jigger_

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, _by Newt Scamander_

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, _by Quentin Trimble_

**OTHER EQUIPMENT**

One wand

One cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

One set of glass or crystal phials

One telescope

One set of brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

Lily looked from her parchment to the street several times, not sure of where she should start. Most fortunately, Hagrid did.

"You'll be needing all tha'," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yet money first: meanin' Gringotts. I'll go with yer in ther', but I need to go to anothe' vault. Hogwarts business. Dunno how long it'll take. I'll meet yer back here in two hou' time: if ye still need a couple of things, we'll go get for yeh."

She didn't really know what to think of that. She had never been good on her own... Her confidence was near non-existent, courtesy of getting told she was no good for years. But she guessed she could suck it up for now.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later Lily was standing outside of Gringotts with a purse of wizard-world money. Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts they were called, if she recalled correctly. She had a hard time listening to the Goblins; Hagrid had been right, they were unnerving. Not to say the cart-ride had really upset her stomach – _now_ she was happy she hadn't eaten much for breakfast. Though, she had seen her vault... She didn't know how many Galleons there were to a pound, but she knew enough to know that she had enough money for years and years to come. And as a side bonus; she knew she had more money than the Dursleys would ever have.

"Let's see what I'm going to need," Lily murmured to herself as she looked at the list again. Her eyes lit up as she saw the word 'wand'. She was definitely going to get her wand first: proof of her magical heritage. If she wasn't in a street full of people she might've been giggling and skipping down the road. A magic wand... this was what Lily had been really looking forward to. But first she needed to know where to go.

Making sure her hair covered her scar – she didn't want the same welcome as she got in The Leaking Cauldron – she went up to a plump lady outside the Apothecary. She was shaking her head, mumbling something along the lines of, "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad..."

"Excuse me, madam," Lily asked in her quiet voice.

The plump lady turned around to see the small girl standing in front of her. She blinked as she could've sworn she knew that shoulder-length, thick dark red hair, and those bright green almond-shaped eyes. "What can I do for you, my dear?"

"I'm not really from around here, and I was wondering you could point me in the direction of a shop that sells wands," Lily said as politely as she could.

The lady's eyed lit up. "Ah! A witch's first wand! I can remember when I got mine, so long ago. You'll want to go to Ollivanders; best wand-makers in Europe – in the world if you want my personal opinion. As I said, I bought my wand there so many years ago when I first went to Hogwarts, and it has never failed me." When she saw the confused look in Lily's eyes she gave a hearty laugh. "Sorry dear, you aren't here for my personal story – I'm sure you have lots of shopping to do. Ollivanders is just down this road, on the south side of Diagon Alley."

"Thank you madam," Lily said with a small smile before making her way down the busy street.

It wasn't long before she found it. The shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C'. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. As she entered a bell rang from way into the shop, betraying its looks by proving that the shop was quite waste. Though the reception wasn't anything to hold your breath over; there was a counter and a single, worn-out chair. Even with the faded paint, and the dust lying around in the corner of the shop, there was something about this place... you could almost feel the tingling sensation of magic.

She heard footsteps and an elderly man with shaggy white hair and pale, almost shining, eyes entered the reception of the shop.

"Good afternoon," the man said. Lily guessed him to be Mr. Ollivander.

"Good afternoon," Lily greeted back, trying not to let show how set off she was about the man. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was just... off. She knew it wasn't nice to judge people so quickly, but when you had lived the life she did, you learned to trust your gut-instinct... unless you wanted to be sent to your 'bedroom' without anything to eat in days.

"Ah yes," said Mr. Ollivander. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Meredith Potter." It wasn't a question. And what was it with everyone calling her Meredith? No one called her Meredith. Not even Aunt Petunia – she called her 'girl'. It was going to take some getting used to everyone knowing your name – and it was most likely take even more time for people to start calling her 'Lily' instead of 'Meredith'. "You're the spitting image of your mother. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Lily. Lily wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy. "Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Lily were almost nose to nose. She swore she could see herself reflected in those misty eyes. "And that's where..." Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Lily's forehead with a long, white finger. That's where she drew the line and jerked back. She didn't like her scar to begin with – and especially not now when she knew how she had gotten it. The old wand-maker didn't seem to either mind or notice as he continued speaking.

"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yes. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do..."

Even with how much the wand-maker gave her the creeps, she could still see the remorse in his eyes. She couldn't even imagine what he must feel like... She smiled softly at him, "You couldn't have know what Volde-" She saw the wand-maker flinch at the name, and quickly stopped herself from saying his name, "You-Know-Who would do with that wand. He was just another eleven year old kid, excited to go to Hogwarts, I'm guessing."

He chuckled lightly as he moved over to the counter and got something. "You really are like your mother. She always saw the best in people – that's what I heard anyway. Never knew neither she nor your father very well." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of a drawer beneath the counter. "Now Miss. Potter, which is your wand arm?"

"Er - well, I'm right-handed," said Lily. She guesses that could be the equivalent.

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Lily from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Miss. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."

Lily suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between her nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.

"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Miss. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave." Lily carefully took up the wand, and waved it a bit. Almost immediately Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of her hand, handing her another. "Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try -" Lily tried - but she had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander. "No, no -here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."

Meredith tried. And tried. She had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - - yes, why not - unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

As soon as she took the wand in her right hand, she felt a sudden warmth spread. And there was something deep inside her that moved... She raised the wand slightly and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework. She raised it above her head and brought it down, swishing through the dusty air, pointing at one of the shelves. As soon as she did it exploded into a million stumps of wood, leaving boxes and boxes of wand on the floor.

"Sorry!" said Lily and motioned to put the wand down on the pile of tried wands. But Mr. Ollivander stopped her.

"Nonsense! It happens from time to time." He looked her in the eyes, creeping her out again. "I see great things in your future, my girl. Barely gotten your wand, and already able to do such marvellous things!" He looked at the wand that had chosen The-Girl-Who-Lived. "Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious..."

He put Lily's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... Curious..."

"Sorry sir," said Lily in her velvet voice, "but what's curious?"

Mr. Ollivander fixed Lily with his pale stare. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Miss. Potter. Every. Single. Wand..." He let the statement hang in the air for a few seconds. "It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother why, its brother gave you that scar."

Lily swallowed. She didn't like where this was going.

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yes. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Miss. Potter... After all, He Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great."

Lily shivered. She wasn't sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. Maybe he had used to many hours in his dusty old shop, as brilliant and magical as it was. She paid seven gold Galleons – still marvelling at the looks of the Wizard-world currency – for her wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed her from his shop.

She looked at her wrist clock and was surprised to see that she had almost used forty minutes getting her wand. That left just under an hour to get the rest of the things on her list. With that in mind, she made her way back to the main square and street of Diagon Alley.

She went around the magical street, getting the things on the list as fast as she could, so she could go and look at some of the other stores to. The list took her past the Apothecary – again –, a fantastic book store named 'Flourish and Blotts' – and yes; she did buy a couple more books than was written on her parchment –, and finally a robe-making store named 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions'. She met a nasty boy she was hoping to have as little as possible to do with. He had acted all high and mighty, like he was better than anyone else. He even snapped at Madam Malkin because 'her filthy half-blood fingers were slow'. He had also said something about 'housing' when getting to Hogwarts, 'blood purity', and some game named 'Quidditch'. She was going to ask Hagrid about it – and she was sure some of her books could tell her more. She was going to make sure to read as much as she could the next month, to be prepared for what she'd see on Hogwarts – and in the Wizard-world in general.

When she was finally done she still had fifteen minutes. She looked at the list – which is rather hard to do when you're carrying so many things – to see if she needed anything else, and spotted the second to last line: _Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad_. She could get a pet! She always wanted one. So now the decision of what kind of pet... She didn't want a toad; that wasn't a pet in her opinion. And a cat... as nice as it sounded, she really wanted to get an owl. She would be sure to be on the lookout for a store selling pets.

As she began walking back towards where she would meet Hagrid, she spotted such a store. 'Eeylop's Owl Emporium' it said with large letters above the store. Outside there were hanging cages with all kind of owls. Inside it looked a little small and dark. But that must just be for the owls: most of them were after all nocturnal.

A bell rung as she opened the door – this time a real, corporal one. As she had expected it was rather dark, though not so much so you couldn't see. Cages of many sizes was hung and stabled alongside one half – the one closest to the entrance – of the right wall, the other half being used to display a great cage with many different species of owls inside it. It looked weird; as if there was a lot more space inside the cage, than should actually be possible for its size. The wall was filled with by sets of shelves filled with all kinds of different tools and what looked like treats. The last wall was 'off-limits', being behind the counter. It was a single shelve, and looked to be filled with 'special treats/foods' – though she couldn't be sure because this was the first time she had been in a store quite like this – and medicine. The last thing she noticed was a small showcase made of glass on the left side of the counter – the side towards the shelves - with a decent sized egg inside it. The most particular thing about this showcase was that it was filled with lightly glowing stack of coal, the egg seemingly being heated by said coal... weird. Guess that was just something she had to get used to.

The store was half-full with people, making her feel a bit squeamish. But as long as no one recognized her as The-Girl-Who-Lived, she should be ok. Right now, she looked like any other eleven year old witch, shopping for her first year at Hogwarts. She debated if she should enter the store with all her stuff – no one else in there were carrying anything other than a small handbag – and decided against it, putting her newly gotten goods down at the shelves.

She used the first five minutes looking at the different owls, trying to decide for herself what would be best. She knew she probably wouldn't receive or send a lot of mail – big shocker there – so she needed an owl who wouldn't be too bored when it couldn't fly the many hundred miles that many of the other owls would. That's what brought her towards the counter of the store.

As she approached it she heard a deep humming – though no one else seemed to either mind or notice it. She shook her head a few times trying to get the sound out of her ear, but to no avail. She tried to locate the source of it, but couldn't find anything immediate that could make such a sound... before her eyes focused on the egg. Suddenly the egg got very interesting. She was almost positive that it was it that made that sound, and it also seemed to be glowing lightly. She ignored the other customers and walked over to the showcase. The urge to touch the egg came over her, and she extended her hand.

"Girl, what in Merlin's name do you think you are doing!?"

The angry voice snapped weird stupor, and she spun around to face the owner of the voice. He was a large man in his late fifties. The front of his head was ball, while he had let the remaining hair grow to the middle of his back. His eyes were very bushy, and framed the dark, brown eyes. His lips were almost non-existent and appeared to be a slim line. It was clear he didn't get out much; his skin was very pale. And currently he had an angry scowl on his face. That changed, however, as he spotted the scar on her forehead.

"Merlin's beard! You're Meredith Potter!" he exclaimed just loud enough for his voice to carry through the shop. And the same thing happened as had happened in the Leaky Cauldron: Everyone stopped talking. You would be able to hear a pin drop. It was uncomfortable silence. It didn't last, as seconds after the man had said her name and pointed her out, the twenty people in the store seemed to rush over to the corner she was in, wanting to shake her hand and introduce themselves. Lily went wide as a sheet: this was nothing like she was used to. She was used to be ignored, and if noticed, then only by a few. But here in the wizard world, as soon as she had been pointed out, it seemed like _everyone_ wanted to know her. It was almost getting to be too much when the man that had pointed her out shouted again.

"That's it! Everyone _OUT!_" he yelled and pointed at the door. Lily went with the rest of the people, but the man, now clearly identified as the owner, put a hand on her shoulder. "Miss. Potter, if you will wait just a moment." She didn't really know if she wanted to wait, but... outside were all the people – and more people – who would recognize her. And this man owned a store on the busiest street in Magic-London, so he couldn't be _too_ bad. Worst case scenario: he would reprimand her for almost touching the weird egg.

As the last family was led outside he closed the door and looked at Lily with a smile on his face – a truly frightening sight: it just didn't look right on a face like that. "I'm sorry about that Miss. Potter. I didn't realize that you would get so crowded."

"It's all right, I guess. I did almost try to touch your... egg... Mr. Eeylop?"

He extended his hand. "Name is Beckett Eeylop, fifth generation of Family Eeylop to supervise the chain of Eeylop's Owl Emporium shops. And that," he said, nodding towards the showcase with the egg, "is _your_ egg Miss. Potter."

"_My_ egg?" Lily asked confused. "I'm sorry Mr. Eeylop, I don't understand. I just came in here to get an owl."

Beckett chuckled. "But you will leave with something much, much better." He walked over and tapped on the showcase with his wand. In a blink of an eye the glass was gone and a wave of heat hit the two people in the store. Lily was sure she could feel her eyebrows sing. "You see, I obtained this egg on a request from James Potter – your father."

"You knew my father?" The-Girl-Who-Lived asked, looking with great curiosity as the shop-owner summoned a medium-sized cage with the flick of his wand. With a swish and a flick the coals and the egg floated in the air and into the cage. The heat in the room dropped considerably after that.

"Knew and knew," Mr. Eeylop said. "I would rather say we were acquaintances. He bought a great many Owls from my shop – for what purpose I know not – and we got to know about the other." He turned around and looked at the shelves behind him, not stopping to talk to him. "Then one day, only a few months before You-Know-Who found them – bless their souls –, he came into my shop and asked if I could possibly get an egg like this... Ah, there they are." He took down a few boxes of what looked like bird food.

"Still, how come you say that it's mine?"

"Your father paid in advance for it – eight thousand Galleons if you would believe it. Of course, I could've sold the egg again after he died, but I couldn't bear to do that to a man I respected. So I decided I would give it to you, when you showed your head in the magical world again. So I kept it here and put a spell on it to put it in delayed development, and put another spell on it that would attract a blood-relative of James Potter."

"Meaning me," Lily finished.

"Exactly," Mr. Eeylop nodded. He looked her in the eye, "Now that it's out of that showcase the delayed development spell is not active anymore. I can't say for sure when it will hatch, but it shouldn't be too long – a few weeks maybe."

Lily looked worriedly at the egg. "It isn't anything dangerous, is it? Not like a dragon or anything, right?"

Beckett Eeylop burst out laughing. "A Dragon Egg? Hah! You got a good humor my dear. Of course you know that Dragon Eggs need to be kept in boiling water to simulate the heat that the mother dragon would do." No… She didn't know that. He appeared to be swiping a few tears from his eyes. "But to answer your question; No, it isn't anything dangerous. It's rare – more than you could possibly imagine – but there is no danger in keeping one."

Lily let a breath out in relief. "Well, what is it then?"

"I'm not gonna tell you that!" he said with a smile. "You'll find out when it hatches. Now, there a few things you need to know about to be able to take care of the egg…"

* * *

When she finally exited Eeylop's Owl Emporium with her new stuff, plus an egg – which was in a special cage, with similar coals as the showcase –, it was actually five minutes past when she was supposed to meet Hagrid. She hurried down the street as much as she could while walking, going over the things the shopkeeper of Eeylop's had told her. She needed to keep the coals lit at all times until the egg hatched – she wouldn't have to worry about getting coals, but she needed to relight the embers once a day, and when the egg hatched she had to be the first thing the bird – yeah it was a bird-creature – saw. Then he had given Lily food enough for the first month, after which '_it will be fully grown and able to hunt for itself_'.

When Lily approached the place she was supposed to meet the big Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts was looking franticly over the crowds that roamed the street – an easy feet for a man of his height. When he spotted her his eyes lit up, and he hurried over to her, taking no heed for the people in front of him who franticly got out of the 'small' Giant's way.

"Blimey Mered- Lily! I was afrai' some'on had gotten to yeh! Dumbledore would've had a fi'! Shouldn' have left yeh', no I shouln'"

"Sorry Hagrid, I stayed at Eeylop's longer than I should have. But see what I got from the owner," Lily said and showed the cage.

Hagrids eyes bulked out when he saw what was in the cage. "Is… is that whe' I think it is?"

Lily shrugged. "You tell me: the owner wouldn't tell me. He only said that my father had paid eight thousand Galleons for it before he died, and Mr. Eeylop didn't feel right selling it to someone else. So he gave it to me."

"Lily, yeh have no idea ho' rare tha' egg is! It's a-"

"Please don't tell me," Lily cut him off with a pleading look. "I want to be surprised when I see it hatching."

Hagrid sighed. "Well, all'right the'. You got everythin' else on yeh list?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I got it covered," Lily nodded looking at the list again. Yes, she had gotten everything.

Hagrid smiled at the girl. "Grea' then! Time for yeh gift! But somethin' to eat first!"

Lily tried to protest on the gift-department. She had never gotten a gift in her life, and she didn't need one now. Besides, Hagrid had given her the best birthday in her life, and that was more than enough for her. But he would have none of it as they reentered The Leaky Cauldron for lunch. They sat in a corner this time, asking Tom – the barkeep – to not tell anyone who she was or where she was. As they ate they could hear people whisper her name here and there. Apparently her reappearance into the wizard world had had quite an impact.

When they were done eating Hagrid got up, asking her to stay, and walked over to talk to Tom. The giant man pointed at her while talking, and Tom seemed to get very excited. Hagrid got a serious expression on his face, quickly mirrored by the barkeep. Finally they both nodded to each other and Tom handed Hagrid a key. Hagrid got back and laid the key on the table.

"Happy Birthday, Lily!" he said with a smile.

Lily took up the key and looked at it. "Erm, thanks? What is it for?"

"It's for a room her' in The Leaky Cauldron, of cours'!" he exclaimed as he sat down on his chair with a 'thud', the chair creaking under the strain. "Didn' think yeh want'ed to go back to yeh aunt and her family before going to good ol' Hogwarts."

A broad smile spread across the girls face. "You mean I can stay here until I go to Hogwarts? I won't have to go back to the Dursleys? Ever?"

"I dunno 'bout 'ever', but at least not until yeh first yea' is done and over wit'," Hagrid nodded.

The smile faltered just the slightest bit, but it didn't last long. The prospect of not seeing her aunt, uncle and cousin for the better part of a year was just too good to be true. This was definitely the best birthday she had _ever_ had.

* * *

**Author's Note:** And that was the first chapter of Meredith Lily Evans Potter!

The only problem I really had writing this chapter was Hagrid – or rather how to write his dialog. If any of you have any advice for me, then please do tell.

Some of you may not like the name 'Meredith', but… yeah, I do. Besides, she will be called 'Lily' ninety-five percent of the time, anyway.

That was really all I have to say. Next chapter will be the Hogwarts express, and possibly also the first while at Hogwarts.

PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL WHAT YOU THINK.

Until Next Time :).


	2. The Hogwarts Express and the Irish Wizar

**Disclaimer:** I do not to claim anything of the Harry Potter universe. All right are owned and reserved for J. K. Rowling – the mastermind that made up the Harry Potter universe.

**Author's Note:** While there were 'only' two reviews for chapter one, I'm surprised by how many people have favourited and followed the story. Pleasantly surprised, of course.

Anyway, I want to thank **Roxas4Ever13** and **god of all** for being my first reviewers. And to answer Roxas' question: yeah, the egg is not hard to guess what is. It's really not supposed to be hard: taking into account how long I plan this story to be, the egg will only be an egg for a couple of chapters.

Ok then; on to the story.

**Chapter 2:** The Hogwarts Express and the Irish Wizard

* * *

The last month before school started was the best in Lily's life. As long as she kept her scar hidden, she was left mostly alone. Only the barkeep kept check on her – and it was nothing like what her so-called relatives had done. Tom was just checking to see if she was comfortable, had eaten, and so on. Everything a good innkeeper should, really. Ok, maybe he paid a tad more attention to her than the other guests, but not by much.

Lily was glad that Tom had kept her identity a secret. There had been a few times that she had been in Diagon Alley that someone had seen her scar on the street, and a few seconds after it seemed like the whole street tried to introduce themselves to her. Fortunately enough, it hadn't happened in the Leaky Cauldron, so no-one knew that she was staying there – Thank God.

The fourth day she was there she had gone to Gringotts again and witdrew some muggle money, which she used to get some muggle clothes. She knew she probably wasn't going to use them for a while, and when she finally needed them she would've probably outgrown them, but she would rather be safe than sorry. Besides, she had never gone shopping for clothes before – her aunt had always gotten her the absolutely cheapest she could find – so she quite enjoyed something that actually resembled clothes more than rags.

When she wasn't walking the magical street or shopping, she was usually found in her room reading. It was all so new to her – magic that is – so she was so excited to learn about it. She was surprised to read that merfolk, giants, and even fairies was real (though only the giants sounded like they did in muggle myths). And all the spells she read about! Every day that passed, she became more and more excited to go to Hogwarts. She had even tried a few spells like _Wingardium Leviosa_, _Lumos_, and _Incendio_ but she had only had success with the last one. And that was only because she had seen Tom do it while he helped her keep her egg's coals lit.

Tom did mention that Lily should keep the magic to a minimum. The Ministry of Magic turned a blind eye to first years using magic before school, as long as it wasn't too much, and as long as it wasn't near muggles. Lily got even more happy that she was staying in a magic inn, and not with her Aunt's family when she had been told that.

So you can understand how excited she was when she was finally standing in front of Kings Cross station, after the most peculiar ride on the 'Knight Bus'. She had gotten a ticket free from the Leaky Cauldron – apparently it was part of the room service there. Lily checked if she had all her luggage – including her egg. She had put a drape over the cage, so to not attract unwanted attention from the muggles.

Lily looked at the big clock in the station, and was relieved to see that the time was only barely 10 a.m. She had plenty of time. Of course, she had already asked Tom how to get to platform nine-and-tree-quarters. But even with all her preparation (as much as she could prepare), the sight that met her on the other side of the barrier made her hitch her breath.

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform, half packed with people – Lily was reminded that she was an hour early. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. The-Girl-Who-Lived looked behind her and saw a wrought iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-quarters on it, She had done it.

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

From what she could see, only one or two carriages were taken by a student or two – most likely saving seats for their friends that had yet to arrive. Lily pushed her cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat – it didn't take long. On the way she passed a round faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."

"Oh, Neville," Lily heard the old woman sigh, whom she presumed were accompanying the boy.

When she was about halfway down the platform, she decided to board the train. With the help of an older looking student, she got her luggage aboard and into one of the empty departments.

"Thank you," she told him sincerely as she put the cage with the egg on one of the seats, still draped. "My name is Lily."

"Anytime," he said with a dashing smile. "My name is Cedric Diggory, third year." Cedric was a tall and, she noticed, kinda handsome young man with chiselled features, dark hair, and bright grey eyes, and was well-built and burly. "Do you know what house you want to be sorted into?" he asked, trying to hold a conversation going. Of course he had already guessed that she was a firsty.

She shrugged. "To be honest, I haven't given it much thought. It would be nice to be in Gryffindor, but I don't think I'm brave enough. Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff would be good, too. But I don't know about Slytherin..."

He grimaced lightly, "yeah, the Snaked aren't the most comfortable people. But they aren't evil." Lily nodded, while thinking hard. That got him grinning again. "Relax," he told her, making her look up. "No matter which house you get sorted to, it will have gained a bright young witch." He started walking out compartment, "I'm a Hufflepuff, by the way." And with that he was gone.

She first realized then that she was blushing lightly, and took a deep breath to calm herself before sitting down. She brought out 'Hogwarts, A History' and got comfortable. She was completely mesmerised by the content of the book; so much so, that she jumped when someone knocked on the compartment door and opened it. It looked like it was another first-year.

He threw her a boyish smile that seemed right at home at his slightly round face, as he spoke with a thick Irish accent. "Hey, do you think I can sit here? Everywhere else is full

She smiled back at him. "Sure, go right ahead." The prospect of finally having found a seat seemed to cheer him up, as he put his luggage up above the seats – he had no problems lifting his trunk. In hindsight, he probably hadn't bought a 'couple' of extra books, either. As Lily went back to reading, he rummaged through his bag to find something.

"I'm Seamus Finnigan, by the way," the boy, Seamus, finally greeted her.

She looked up from her book, mentally biting her lip in nervousness. He would find out sooner or later. "I'm Lily. Lily Potter."

As soon as she had said her name, she knew he recognized it. A brief wave of shock flushed over his face, before it was replaced by awe.

"You mean _Meredith_ Lily Potter? _The_ Meredith Potter?" Seamus asked.

She grimaced and gave an uncomfortable, "I prefer to go by Lily, if you don't mind." As soon as she said it, she realized she had sneered it abit, and she felt guilty right away. "Sorry. It's just... I only found out about magic on my birthday a month ago. It's a lot to take in, to know that you're one of the most famous people in the world."

"I'm Sorry..." he apologized to her, and she was surprised to see he apparently was genuine about it. "I was just surprised, you know."

She threw Seamus a grin. "Let's just call it even then, shall we?" she asked him and extended her hand.

"Deal." He smiled back at her, and shook her hand.

She went back to reading, but could see out of the corner of her eye that Seamus kept throwing her glances. But he respected that she didn't want to make a big deal about it. Finally she rolled her eyes as she put down her book, "Alright, I know you're dying to ask me something. So let's just clear the air, and after that, I'm just 'Lily', your new friend, ok?" He nodded eagerly.

"Do you really got – you know..." he pointed to Lily's forehead, which was covered by her hair.

"The scar?" she asked, though she knew the answer already.

"Yeah."

Lily pulled back her bangs to show the lightning scar. Seamus stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who—?" Seamus asked carefully.

"Yes," said Lily, "but I can't remember it."

"Nothing?" said he eagerly.

"Well—I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."

"Wow," Seamus said. He sat and stared at Lily for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he blinked and looked quickly away. They seemed to want to get the conversation going as much as she did, so Seamus nodded toward the cage.

"What'd you got in there?"

"Don't know," Lily answered flatly.

"What do you mean?"

Instead of telling him, she decided to simply show him. As soon as the drape was off of the cage, Seamus gasped.

"What _is_ that?" Seamus asked.

Lily shrugged. "I don't know. I got it from the owner of 'Eeylop's Owl Emporium' in Diagon Alley. My father bought it before he…" She trailed off, not wanting to speak of her dad. Seamus looked sympatheticly at her, but not with pity. "He bought it when I was little. So the owner just saved it for me."

"So, you have _no_ idea what it is?" Seamus inquired, while looking at the egg.

Lily shook her head. "No. Well, I know that it's nothing like a dragon or anything dangerous like that. It's some kind of bird creature."

"What's with the coals?"

"I have to have them lit at all the times, until it hatches. And when it's about to hatch, I have to put it in an open fire. Oh, that reminds me." She took out her wand and pointed it at the coals. "_Incendio!_" Small sparks flew out of the tip of her wand and relit the coals.

"Wicked! How do you already know that spell?"

With that she told him about how she had stayed at the Leaky Cauldron the last month, and how Tom had helped her – unintentionally – learning the spell. After that they just started chattering, and for the first time in her life, Lily felt she had a real friend.

Seamus was a half-blood wizard like her, though his father was completely muggle. That helped the conversations, as when he mentioned something magically she didn't know about, he could explain it by comparing it to something muggle equivalent. Sadly, because he was half-and-half, he had had a hard time making friends. He lived in a muggle community, and no other wizard family lived nearby. Sure, he had someone who he could run out and play football with, but not a 'real friend'. Though, that didn't seem to affect his 'feel-good' mood. All in all, Seamus seemed good-natured and easy-going. And apparently a bit clumsy, if she should judge by the stories he told – he had set fire to several things with his accidental magic.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Lily, who hadn't brought any lunch, and had had a fairly early breakfast to avoid too many stares, leapt to his feet. But somehow Seamus had reached the corridor before her.

Lily had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that she had pockets rattling with gold and silver she was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as she could carry — only the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Lily had never seen in his life.

"What is all this?" Lily asked curiously

Seamus froze halfway bent to take something off the trolley, and slowly turned to Lily. "You have never tasted sweets?"

"I only got told about magic a month ago, remember?"

"Oh, right…"

She smiled at him, "So… What do you recommend? I have money enough."

Not wanting Lily to miss anything, and because he had a sweet tooth himself, he got Lily to buy something of everything. Of course, he paid for some himself, but Lily insisted on paying for most of it – she was, after all, quite 'loaded'. As Seamus took everything into the compartment, Lily paid the woman eleven silver Sickles, and seven bronze Knuts.

Re-entering their compartment, Lily saw that Seamus had laid all the sweets at an empty seat, already chewing through some of it. Lily, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with, couldn't help but smile. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with her _friend_, eating their way through all of the pasties, cakes, and candies.

"What are these?" Lily asked Seamus, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" After all she had read about magic, she wouldn't be surprised if it exploded in chocolate or something. She wasn't taking chances.

"No," Seamus replied. "It's all magic; they only have a few jumps in them, and only one good one. Besides, it's the cards that matters.

"What?"

"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know — Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect — famous witches and wizards. I've got about three-hundred-and-fifty."

Lily unwrapped her Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and moustache. Underneath the picture was the name 'Albus Dumbledore'.

"So this is Dumbledore!" Lily said interestingly. She had, of course, read about Hogwarts headmaster in many of her books, but had yet to encounter a picture of him.

"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Seamus.

"Sure I have. I've read most of my school books, and even some that wasn't on the list. I just haven't seen a picture of him."

There was a silence for a few seconds, as Seamus just starred at her. Not like when he found out who she was: this was more like he was in denial or disbelief. "You... You read _all_ your school books and more?" She nodded. "Blimey, I could never do that."

"No, but you also know about magic; I don't."

Seamus seemed to accept that. "I guess that explains it. I can't really imagine what it would be like to have your whole world turned upside down. Anyway, can I have a frog? I might get a new card – thanks –"

Lily turned over his card and read:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS

_Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling._

Lily turned the card back over and saw that Dumbledore's face had disappeared. She raised an eyebrow; there really was magic _everywhere_. She looked up again, "did you get a card you wanted?"

"No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her… do you want it? You can start collecting." He didn't wait on her answer, and gave her the card. She accepted it without a second thought; it was nice to be able to share like this.

Seamus helped himself to more chocolate frogs. He got a card or two he was missing – how he knew which he was missing with over three-hundred cards, she didn't know – and gave her the ones he already had. But he seemed more interested in eating the candy frogs, than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards, but Lily couldn't help but look at them. When all the frogs where gone, she had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin.

After having read about the druidess Cliodna, she turned to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

"You want to be careful with those," Seamus warned his new friend, with a mischievous grin. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor — you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe."

They had a good time eating the Every Flavour Beans. Lily got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and, lastly, pepper.

The countryside, now flying past the window, was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round faced boy Lily had passed on platform nine-and-three-quarters came in. He looked tearful. With him was a girl, already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"Why don't you get one of the older students to summon him?" Lily asked. The three other first-years starred at her blankly – well, the girl with buckteeth looked like she was trying to solve a great mystery. "You know, _Accio_. Some of the older students are bound to know it. They briefly mentioned it in one of my books."

The girls eyes brightened. "You also read your books?"

Lily nodded. "I didn't really know about magic 'till about a month ago, so I read everything I could."

The girl got into compartment, as Neville walked out after a 'thanks', most likely to find an older student. The girl started talking right away.

"Me too! Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard — I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. I just hope it will be enough — I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

She said all this very fast. So much that Lily had a hard time following everything. Lily loved her new books, and had read them all, but she hadn't learnt them 'by heart'.

"Seamus Finnigan!" Seamus introduced himself to Hermione with the same eagerness he had done to Lily.

"Lilly Potter."

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course—I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

"Am I?" said Lily, getting uncomfortable again. The look on Seamus face showed that he saw it too. Hermione didn't notice at all, though.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. Of course she would. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, I'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon." Not even waiting for their response, she hurried out the door.

And there was silence. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Then Seamus burst out laughing, Lily quickly following his lead. After having been humoured about Hermione for a little while, Seamus stepped out of the department so Lily could change into robes, as she did the same after. After a while, Seamus asked.

"What's your favourite Quidditch team?"

"Er... I don't know what it is. I've heard the name a few times, but haven't bought any books on it, and then I kinda forgot about it."

"What!" Seamus exclaimed. He looked very close to jumping up on his seat, pointing an accusing finger at Lily, and shouting about blasphemy of the worst kind. Luckily he didn't. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world—" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his parents and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Lily through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.

Three boys entered, and to Lily's displeasure, she recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Lily with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Meredith Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," Lily sighed. If this was how it was going to be _everywhere_ she went... She was already getting tired of it. She looked at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean – not someone she wanted to be with. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like thugs or bodyguards.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Lily was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

"I'm Seamus Finnigan," Seamus greeted, ever so friendly. Draco's lip lifted slightly as if disgusted.

"Your mother's maiden name was O'Sullivan wasn't it?"

Seamus eyes widened. "How'd you know?"

"Father told me about them. How one of his old classmates married a _muggle_." The word muggle was said with a sneer. Lily frowned; while her Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin had been despicable human beings, she knew that not all muggles were like that. At least a few of her teachers had been very friendly.

Draco turned back to Lily. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort, especially half-bloods. I can help you there."

Her whole body went rigid. "Well, then, you must not want to make friends with me. I'm a half-blood after all. I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," she said coolly.

Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the half-bloods, mudbloods and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

Before Malfoy knew what had happened, Lily had grabbed her want, and pointed it straight at Malfoy. "Get out." She didn't like talking about her parents, but she wouldn't stand by when someone badmouthed them, or threatened her.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered, tried to put up a brave facade, but Lily could see him gulp thickly as his two goons backed slowly out of the compartment.

"Unless you get out now," said Seamus, more bravely than he felt, standing right beside Lily, also with his wand pointed. His boyish attitude had gone straight out the window the moment he heard what the other boy had said about James and Lily (the older) Potter.

Draco looked indecisive for a moment, before he scoffed. "Whatever. Let's go, Crabbe, Goyle." Draco spun around and all three of them disappeared at once.

Lily let out a deep breath, and slumped down in her seat. Seamus sat across of her, warily glancing at the door, as to make sure Draco and his goons weren't coming back.

"You've met Malfoy before?" he finally asked

Lily explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"I've heard of his family," said Seamus darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. Mam doesn't believe it. She says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."

"I just know I want to have nothing to do with him. No one talks about my parents that way," she said, her lips turning to be a thin line. Seamus didn't say anything, just letting that be the closing statement.

A few moments later a voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." Magic must've been used because it sounded like it was just spoken from right beside them.

Lily peered out of the window. It was getting dark. She could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

Lily's stomach lurched with nerves and Seamus seemed to be fidgeting with the few chocolate frog cards he had gotten. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Lily shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Lily heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Mer - Lily?"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me—any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Lily thought there must be thick trees there. She was pleased to see that Neville had found his throat, and he had a firm grip on it.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Lily and Seamus were followed into their boat by Neville and a dark-skinned boy.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

* * *

**Author's Note:** And second chapter is done! I hope you like it! As I said in the first chapter, a lot of it is greatly inspirited, or directly copied from the Philosophers stone. As the story progresses, it will diverge more and more from the books.

So what do you think of Seamus? I tried to portrait him as I remember from the books – easygoing and happy. You know, before he turned a bit bitter against Harry. Lily – and Seamus – will have other friends than just each other of course. Like Neville. Ron and Hermione will also be among them.

Until Next Time.


	3. Arriving at Hogwarts

**Disclaimer:** I do not to claim anything of the Harry Potter universe. All right are owned and reserved for J. K. Rowling – the mastermind that made up the Harry Potter universe.

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for the reviews – it's really nice to hear what you think of the story, even if it's only 10k words at the moment. On to answer a few questions and concerns.

Seamus may seem a little to knowledgeable for who he is. As **mfmxxx** pointed out, Ron knew of the things about the Malfoy family because Molly and Arthur was/is a member of The Order of the Phoenix. Well, in this story we're going to explore Seamus family a bit more than they did in the books (we wasn't even told what her name was), and that will hopefully explain why he knows some things.

**Grey-Rain-Cloud**, and I'm sure others are also, concerned about the story copying too much for the books at the moment. And I agree – but it will change in the next few chapters. It's really only to get the story going. To be fair, I do think I have made some significant changes already (besides turning Harry into Lily). The welcoming feast (which will happen in this chapter) might contain a few paragraphs from The Philosophers Stone, but after that it should really be spare, as 'With a Swish and a Flick' diverges from the books.

Don't expect it to happen too soon, though. I can imagine that I can't change too much about first year, besides how some things happen. I'll be honest with you; I thought about starting the story in year three or four, but then you'd miss a whole bunch of background stuff. So I'm doing it like this :).

Well, on to the story.

**Chapter 3:** Arriving at Hogwarts

* * *

The door swung open at once. A tall, black haired witch in emerald green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Lily's first thought was that this was not someone to cross. As the old lady laid eyes on Lily, her eyes widened for a second, as she starred in pure shock. She quickly regained control of her facial muscles, and went back to looking stern.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here," the old witch, Professor McGonagall, thanked Hagrid. The half-giant nodded to her in acknowledgement and made his way down alongside the dock, which Lily guessed would take him around the castle. He probably had something to do before the feast.

She pulled the door open, and began making her way inside and up some stairs, all the first-years following her quietly. From time to time there was a silent exclamation as they passed something interesting, but nothing too loud. She looked over a Seamus who grinned at her, to which she responded for a nervous smile.

Finally they walked through a door and entered what The-Girl-Who-Lived guessed to be the entrance hall. It was _massive_. It could probably fit the whole of the Dursley's house inside, and still have more than enough room. As they entered from the left side of the room, she saw a massive door on the right that lead to the outside, and staircase to the left that led further into the castle. But it wasn't where they were going; McGonagall led across the hall, stopping in front another set of wooden doors – also massive.

Beside the door that let to the outside where four large hourglass, each with different coloured gemstones in the upper part. As far as she could see there were rubies to the far left, followed by garnets, after which the door made a space before the sapphire's, and finally the emeralds. Even in the hourglass there was magic; there was no way that the gemstones could be stuck in the upper part.

It's seemed like it was a theme in Hogwarts: everything was grand.

The Professor turned around, her back against the door, and face towards the new students. She looked over them all, her eyes lingering just a few moments more on Lily's face than the others.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," McGonagall finally greeted them. "Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you can take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses." Whispering went through the crowd, as friends again mentioned what houses they hoped to be sort into. One stern look from their new teacher quieted them.

"There are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. And while you're here your house will be like your family: your triumphs will earn you points, any rule breaking and you will lose points. At any time the house-points can be seen in the four hourglasses along the wall." The few students who hadn't taken a look at said hourglasses turned to look. McGonagall continued, "At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup." She let it sink in before speaking again.

"The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly. I shall return to you when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." With that she opened the door, letting some of the new students catch a glimpse of the other hall. Lily and Seamus was not one of those students. As soon as the large door closed again, whispering could be heard throughout the students.

Seamus leaned towards Lily, "You don't think we have to do any magic to get into a house, do you? I've still only done it accidentally. You wouldn't have any problem," he said sadly, with nervousness etched upon his face.

"It wasn't written in any books how it goes." That answer seemed to freak her new friend out a bit more, so she quickly added, "but I'm positive that they won't make us do anything we can't do. If you, a wizard from a family of wizards, can't do it, then the muggleborns wouldn't stand a chance."

That seemed to relax him. "I guess you're right." A few seconds after he turned to her again, "what house do you suppose you will get sorted into?"

"I have no idea. I just hope it's not Slytherin. Not enough with what I've heard about the house, it's also the house that You-Know-Who went to." She paused. "It just wouldn't feel right." He nodded, and she swallowed nervously. "I hope I get to be in the same house as you."

He threw her his boyish grin. "Me too. We're mates, right?"

She felt so happy that she could jump up a down, but settled with a bright smile. "Right."

It was at that moment that the doors opened again, McGonagall stepping in front of them. "We're ready for you now. Follow me." And as she spun around, the giant wooden doors opened by themselves, giving all the students a full view of the room – or hall was more like it.

Lily had never even imagines such a strange and splendid place existed – even within the world of magic. It was lit up by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair many meters over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the other end of the hall was another long table, in an angle of ninety degrees to the rest of the tables, where the teachers were sitting – Lily recognized Dumbledore from her chocolate frog card. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight, and Lily could feel her lack of confidence sneak up on her. She took a _very_ small step back, and Seamus seemed to notice. He nudged her lightly to catch her sight, and grinned at her again. She smiled back.

Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Lily looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. Seamus seeing where she was looking, looked to and gasped.

"Why are there no roof?" he whispered feverously to her. Before Lily could answer, they both heard Hermione Granger whisper the answer from not too far away.

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

Seamus looked up at the sky/roof again. "Wicked."

"You said it," Lily whispered back. Even as she had read about it, it was hard to believe that there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open up to the heavens.

Lily quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty – Lily wouldn't be surprised if they were told it had been here as long as the castle had.

For a few seconds, there was complete silence, and the air was buzzing with anticipation. Finally, after several seconds of nothingness, the hat opened a rip near the button, and began to _sing_. If Lily wasn't so shocked she might've guffawed

"_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your __head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

With that the Sorting Ceremony began. One by one the first-years would sit on the chair with the old hat on their head. Then, depending on who it was, it could take from a few seconds, to more than minute before the hat would open its mouth and shout out the house name – which was followed by said house cheering for the new addition to their house.

Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones were both sorted into Hufflepuff, followed by the first Ravenclaw of this year, Terry Boot. And it continued like that, the names of the first-years being called up in alphabetic order. When 'Finnigan, Seamus' was called, Seamus stepped forward right away. Lily gave him a 'good luck', which caused him to throw her his grin.

It seemed like Seamus was one of those the hat had trouble to sort – Lily had gotten increasingly nervous for her friend as he sat on the stool for almost a whole minute, before the hat spoke.

"GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted out of nowhere, causing a few of the new students to jump.

Lily's heart faltered when she heard where her friend was sorted, but she gave Seamus an encouraging smile as he went over to the same table as Lavender Brown.

The-Girl-Who-Lived was convinced that she wasn't going to get sorted into Gryffindor: she was nowhere near brave. She hated big crowds, hated being looked at. She gave a mental sigh; well, Seamus and she could still be friends, even if they were in different houses. They would just be spending less time together, if she should judge by what McGonagall had said outside the Great Hall.

"Granger, Hermione!" Professor McGonagall called up the next student, and the ceremony continued, after a very eager Hermione had been sorted into Gryffindor.

Lily's nerves only grew when Neville Longbottom was called, and he fell on his way to the stool. After having taken ages for the hat to decide, he ran off still wearing it, right after it had sorted him into Gryffindor. She would make sure not to do _that_, but now she was thinking of everything else that could go wrong.

When Draco Malfoy was called, he swaggered of with confidence. The hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself, as egomaniacs now do. Lily's blood boiled slightly at seeing him again. She _really_ didn't like it when people badmouthed her parents.

There weren't many unsorted first-years left, and she knew that she wouldn't have much time before everyone in the room knew who she was. She could tell the few that already knew by the way they were looking at her. Professor McGonagall called a Moon, Nott, and Parkinson. Then a pair of twin girls named Patil. She knew they were getting close as she called 'Perks, Sally Anne.' And then finally,

"Potter, Meredith!" _It's Lily, dammit_.

The hall went quiet for a few seconds, before whispers broke out at all the tables. A few of them caught her ear. Things like 'Did she say _Potter_?' and '_The_ Meredith Potter?' You know, the usual things wizards and witches whispered when they heard her name. She tried to not think about how many people were looking and talking about her, and just focusing on the task at hand: sit down on a chair, and let the old hat decided which table she should sit at.

As soon as she had sat down, McGonagall lowered the hat on top of her hand – it was so big that it went down and covered her eyes.

"Ah," a small voice said in her ear. "Finally I get to see the Meredith Potter all the first years have been thinking about. Or should I say Lily Potter? Yes, I think I should." There was silence for a moment, and then. "Hmm, difficult. Very difficult. A sharp mind, plenty of loyalty, and a lioness heart. And I can see your thirst for knowledge – a thirst to prove yourself to the world."

Lily could agree with most of what the hat said, but a lioness heart? Not likely.

"Oh, but you have! I see it all here, in your head. A girl who lacked courage wouldn't have stood up to that Malfoy fellow." What was she supposed to do? He insulted her new – and first – friend, and her parents. "Exactly. You stood up to him. Now, where shall I put you?"

This was the moment; she would be put in one of the four houses. Just anything but Slytherin. Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.

"Not Slytherin, eh?" it came from the hat into her ear. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that—no? Well, if you're sure—better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily was so stunned that she almost didn't notice that she got the loudest cheer yet. It seemed like everyone on the Gryffindor table had risen to give him a welcome worthy of a royal. But then again – to them she was nearly there. But her, Meredith Lily Potter, in Gryffindor house, '_Where dwell the brave at heart_'? Madness.

As she was about to sit beside Seamus, who, by the way, was whistling hard at her, a redheaded older student extended his hand.

"Hello Meredith, I'm Percy Weasley; one of the Gryffindor Prefects."

She smiled politely back at him. "Hello Percy. I prefer Lily, if you don't mind"

"Of course," he nodded. "If you need anything, just ask me. It's my fifth year, so I know my way around."

"I'll make sure to do that."

While she had been talking to Percy the Prefect, two twins, also redheads, had gotten up from their seats, and were dancing between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables yelling, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

As she sat down, she got a better look at the High Table. Sometime during the ceremony, Hagrid had gotten in and sat down. He caught her eye, and gave him a 'thumbs up'. Lily smiled back. On the other side of the table, Lily spotted the nervous DADA Professor from her first day in the Leaky Cauldron. Just now he was sporting a large, purple turban.

Only four people had yet to be sorted into the house. The next, Dean Thomas – the dark skinned boy who they had sat in the same boat with –, got sorted into Gryffindor, and sat on the across from Lily, and Lisa Turpin got into Ravenclaw. The second to last one was another redhead, and Lily wondered if he was related to Percy. She got her answer when McGonagall called 'Weasley, Ronald'. As he was sorted into Gryffindor, both Percy and the twins clapped excitedly at him, as he sat close to Seamus, Lily, Hermione, Dean and Neville.

The last one, Blaise Zabini, was made a Slytherin, and Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

"Welcome," an old and wise voice spoke up, and all the chattering drifted away. It was the Headmaster who had spoken. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered.

"The heck was that about," Seamus asked, struggling to breathe due to him laughing. "Is he mad, or something?"

Percy answered from a bit down the table. "Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Ah, the food is here."

Lily's mouth fell open, and she felt it watering.

The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table, it seemed like every dish in the world was here. Now, it wasn't as if The Dursley's had visibly starved Lily, but she'd never gotten seconds, or enough to be truly full. Her cousin had always come first, and he had taken anything that Lily would truly have liked to have – if for anything but to annoy her. Once he had even gotten sick by it.

Lily piled her plate up quickly, suddenly feeling how hungry she was – it had been many hours ago Seamus and her had eaten on the train. She had never tasted anything better.

"That does look good," someone with an airy voice said from slightly across table. Lily's eyes widened when she saw who – or rather what – had spoken to her. A _ghost_. Pearly white and slightly transparent, the ghost looked longingly at her plate. "I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," he said with a sigh. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington at your service, Resident Ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"I read about you!" Lily smiled. "It said in Hogwarts, a history, that you were the most helpful of the Resident Ghosts. I'm Lily Potter."

"I know, my girl. You're the spitting image of your mother," he smiled warmly at her.

"I know who you are!" Ron Weasley suddenly came with an outburst. "My brothers told me about you—you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy—" Sir Nicholas began, but was cut off by the ever curious Seamus.

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"

"Seamus! That's not something you ask!" Lily scolded her friend lightly as she saw the hurt or uncomfort in Nicholas eyes. Though, she was just as curious. She smiled slightly a nick. "Sorry about Seamus. I think he was dropped on his head as a baby." That drew laughs from the surrounding people, and an indignant 'hey!' from Seamus – though he also looked like he thought it was funny. After the laughter died down, people still looked at Nick.

Sir Nicholas still looked slightly miffed, and seemed to realized that the kids weren't going to let it go before they got their answer.

"Like this," he said irritably. He grabbed his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So—new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable—he's the Slytherin ghost."

Lily couldn't help but look over at the Slytherin table, and saw a horrible ghost sitting there. Whereas Nick could be described as a nice ghost, The Bloody Baron was the embodiment of ghosts of nightmares. He was sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaint face, and robes stained with silver blood. Lily couldn't help but sport a grin when he saw that the Baron was sitting next to Malfoy, who didn't look too pleased with the arrangement.

"How did he get covered in blood?" Seamus asked with great interest.

"I've never asked," Nearly Headless Nick answered delicately.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later desserts of just as much variety as the dinner appeared. Anything from blocks of ice cream, to rise pudding and fruit. Anything a eleven year old girl could dream of, really.

It wasn't long after that, that the first-years – and older – started talking about their families.

"I'm half-and-half," Seamus told the others what Lily already know. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him." That was a very revised story of what Seamus had told her – his father had nearly left her and Seamus because of it. But they worked through it. It warmed Lily's heart to know that Seamus trusted her with that – even if they only just met.

The others laughed at his joke.

"What about you, Neville?" Ron asked the nervous toad-owner.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me — he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned—but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced — all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here — they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."

"Ah, that's so cool for your first magic!" Ron exclaimed. "I only made my sisters hair go green…" he mumbled about how much trouble he had been in for doing it, before turning to Lily. "What about you, Meredith? What was your first accidental magic?"

"Lily, please," Lily said for the umphteenth time since she had entered the magic world. "I don't really remember my first accidental magic, but I released python in zoo, and captured my cousin in its cage. Then it thanked me." The whole lot guffawed at the picture she had painted for them. On Lily's other side, Percy and Hermione were talking about lessons. It seemed that Hermione was very eager to get started. Of course, Lily was also eager, but, if she was honest, she wanted a day to explore her new home.

For the first time in her life, Lily started to feel completely at home. With a warm and sleepy feeling, she looked up at the High Table as the others continued to talk. Hagrid was happily drinking from his large goblet, Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Quirrell was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.

As if the black-haired Professor knew he was being watched, he looked past Quirrell, and straight into Lily's eyes. She swore saw some kind of pain flash through them – regret maybe? – but it was all forgotten as a hot pain shot through the scar on her forehead. On instinct, her right hand flew from its position on the table, and onto the scar, while she hissed under her breath.

"Lily?" Seamus asked in concern in his Irish accent. "Are you all right?"

"Y-yeah," she answered as the pain disappeared. As she looked up at the hook-nosed Professor, he was talking to Quirrell again. She turned towards the Prefect closest to her.

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" she asked Percy.

"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to — everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape." From time to time during desert, Lily would glance at Snape, but could never catch his eyes again. It was if Snape was trying to _avoid_ looking at her.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem—just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few 'start of term' notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore stopped to look directly at the Weasley twins, with a twinkle in his eyes. "I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

"He's not serious?" she muttered to Percy.

"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere—the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

Soon after that the students were dismissed. The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase, to the Gryffindor Common Room.

* * *

**Author's Note:** And that was chapter 3, and the end of the 'introduction chapters', as I would like to call them. From now on, you should be able to read the story without saying 'that's almost like the book'. Of course, you will still recognize things – I'm not changing to story-line too much yet.

I hope to have chapter 4 up in two days time. It will cover how Lily thinks about Hogwarts the first few days. Chapter five will most likely be a small timeskip.

Until Next Time :)


	4. Classes and Friends

**Disclaimer:** I do not to claim anything of the Harry Potter universe. All right are owned and reserved for J. K. Rowling – the mastermind that made up the Harry Potter universe.

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews so far – I always enjoy hearing what you think of the story – even if I don't always agree with you.

There has been one or two reviews complaining about her being called Lily - **Vain Gloriousness** went as far as calling it 'unhealthy, stalkerish, and creepy to be called by her dead mother's name'. While I respect your opinion, I simply don't share it with you. Meredith Lily likes being called Lily because it makes her feel closer to her mother. I don't see anything wrong with that. As far as you, the readers, thinking about Lily Potter nee Evans when you read the story, well... that's kinda the point. She looks and acts a lot like her mother.

I'm glad that you thought that the last chapter diverged more from the original story than the first two chapters, and hopefully you will think even more so when reading this chapter. I'm trying to make it different, little by little. That said, as I've mentioned before, there probably won't be story changing divergences just yet.

On to the story now! Hope you'll enjoy another chapter of 'With a Swish and a Flick'!

**Chapter 4:** Classes and Friends

* * *

The first week at Hogwarts castle was like a dream for Lily. Aside from the staring and the potion class, she couldn't be happier. And she actually had _friends_! Yes, as in more than one.

She had quickly become acquainted with the girls in her dormitory: Hermione Granger, Lavender Brown, and Parvati Patil. That said, Lavender and Parvati was more into gossiping than anything else, so Lily quickly grew closer to Hermione as they found a kinship in each other as bookworms – though, whereas Lily liked reading and learning, Hermione seemed almost obsessed with it. From what little Lily had learned about her bushy-haired friend, Hermione had been a very lonely girl growing up, much like Lily herself. Of course, she hadn't had it half as bad as The-Girl-Who-Lived: her parents were still very loving and devoted to their daughter.

Even through Seamus, Lily had started to talk to the other Gryffindor boys of her year: Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom and Ron(ald) Weasley. Though, while Dean being as good as muggleborn, Ron and Neville had grown up in a full-blood wizard family, and had heard the stories of 'Meredith Potter; The Girl Who Lived'. While Neville was too nervous to do anything about it, Ron had stars in his eyes every time she spoke to him.

But still, Lily found her more drawn to the funny Irish bloke she met on the train. Seamus and she had quickly taken to wait on each other in the common room in the morning, and would many days not go without seeing each other for over twenty minutes. It's was hard to explain for Lily, as she had never had a friend or someone she truly cared for before. But Seamus just seemed easy to be with, like she didn't have to watch out. It was unbelievable how close they had gotten after only a single week. They had learned several things about each other, though Lily tended to tell more of what she thought, than her actual past. She knew that Seamus knew, but he didn't press for information.

Her first assessment of Seamus had been correct. He was good natured, easy-going, and incredible sweet. He was also a true boy, enjoying joking with the other boys, but especially Dean. At first, as horrible as it sounds, Lily had been worried when he had made _another_ friend. While Lily had something that resembled a friendship with Hermione, she still enjoyed being with her Irish friend far more. The worries she had proved to be wasted, as he still sat with her in nearly every class.

As Seamus had told her on the train, he was accidental pyromaniac. Like his accidental magic had set several things on fire, there was times he lost control of magic in his class, that something almost erupted in a few flames. It had only happened three times, and every time Seamus ended with face black. Lily had burst out laughing every time, and it seemed to help on Seamus embarrassment.

The classes went smoothly, as they were introduced to the different subjects. Seamus still thought it was 'bloody annoying' that flying lessons only started the week after – though, Lily didn't complain: she was a bit nervous about getting on a broom. While every class was beyond what Lily had imagined them to be two subjects stood out – Charms and Potions.

Charms had been interesting. Well, after Professor Flitwick had fallen down from his chair in excitement when he called Lily's name – which embarrassed her to no end, so of course Seamus teased her about it.

- Flashback Charms Class -

"_Now class," Professor Filius Flitwick said to his new students. He was happy he didn't have any additional joined Gryffindor-Slytherin classes for a few more years – a Gryffindor-Hufflepuff class was much more pleasant. "Can anyone tell me the difference between Charms and Transfiguration?"_

_Hermione Granger's hand shot right up in the air, while a few of the other students murmured to each other. Flitwick knew that many of the other teacher's – such as McGonagall – wouldn't have had it. But as long as his students didn't disrupt the class further, he didn't have a problem with it._

"_Ah, yes Miss Granger," the Charms Professor nodded to the muggleborn witch._

"_Transfiguration is commonly perceived as the more advanced branch of magic of the two."_

_Flitwick nodded. "That is correct, but there is a distinct difference between the two branches, which causes them to __**be**__ two branches, and not just one branch of magic. Anyone else?" Filius' right eyebrow rose as he saw Meredith Potter chew on her lower lip while slowly raising her hand. He had had as big a shock as any of the other teachers when he had seen her for the first time. She was almost the spitting image of her mother – a witch with great talent for Charms. The only difference was the slightly darker shade of red in her hair, and some of her facial structure._

"_Yes Miss Potter?"_

"_Sir, the way I've understood it, the biggest difference between Transfiguration and Charms is the nature of the spells. Whereas Transfiguration changes what an object is, Charms changes what an object does," Lily said, sounding a little nervous. The rest of the class went quiet as she spoke – it was clear that they all had heard of The-Girl-Who-Lived. Now, Filius couldn't say that he wasn't very interested in the girl – but that was more because of her mother's talent for his subject than anything else._

"_Excellent Miss Potter! Five points to Gryffindor!" he exclaimed excitedly. It wasn't often that anyone had figured out the difference between his and Minerva's subjects before they had even set food at Hogwarts. Minerva and him had agreed a great many years ago that he would explain it to the first-year students in the first week._

"_A charm is a spell that adds certain properties to an object or a creature. Charms are distinguished from Transfiguration in that a charm either adds or changes properties of an object. Or, as Miss Potter so cleverly said, Charms changes what an object does, not what it is. Lastly, an object that has a lasting charm placed on it is called bewitched – but you shouldn't worry about that before your fourth year."_

_Half the students scribbled down what he had said on parchment, while the other half starred intensely at him. He chuckled mentally; he really loved teaching first-years. Everyone was so excited to learn about magic – even those born in magical families – that they gave him their undivided attention. Of course, the 'new and shiny' wore off eventually, but he had learned that most students paid attention when it mattered._

"_Now, one of the simplest and most useful Charms there is out there is Lumos – the Wand-Lighting Charm – and its countercharm Nox – the Wand-Extinguishing Charm." He brought out his wand, "__**Lumos!**__" Some of the students gasped as the tip of his wand shone bright lemon-yellow. "Continuing from our definition of Charms, it's easy to see what Lumos does: it changes a wand from doing nothing, to emitting light. The countercharm does the opposite; it changes a wand from emitting light, to doing nothing, as such: __**Nox!**__" As Professor Flitwick had said, the wand back to its state before he cast Lumos._

_Filius put his wand back up his sleeve. "Now that we have covered the basics of the charm, I know many of you are dying to get started. Since there are no hand-movements involved, I will just let you to it. That said, it's not enough just saying 'Lumos' to cast the spell. The clue I leave you; think of the nature of the spell. Now, go on." As soon as he had said the word, the word 'Lumos' could be heard over and over in the small classroom._

"_**Lumos!**__" Seamus tried, but nothing happened. "Argh! __**Lumos!**__" Again nothing. Lily giggled. Seamus threw a mock pout at her, "Can't you help me? You're like super smart; you should know how to do it, right? It's in one of your books, isn't it?"_

"_Sorry," Lily answered with a smile. "I tried Lumos before we went to school, but I couldn't get it to work. Of cou-"_

"_Excellent Miss Granger! Look everyone, Miss Granger has done it!" Flitwick's voice sounded from another table. Seamus and Lily turned around to see a very happy Hermione showing off her wand, which was glowing from its tip. Though, compared to the Professor's Lumos, Hermione's was a bit dim, and it shone more white than lemon-yellow. Nonetheless, they couldn't deny that the tip of her wand very much emitted light. "Another five points to Gryffindor. Excellent work, Miss Granger. Just splendid!"_

_Seamus and Lily went back to trying to get their wands to light up, but it wasn't as easy as it looked. It quickly became clear to Lily that there was much more to magic than just waving your wand and saying a magical word._

'_What was it the Professor said?' Lily mused to herself. 'Think of the nature of the spell… Well, the spell emits light, so that's it's nature. Clearly, it's not enough to think of the wand to light up, and neither is it enough to think of the word.' That didn't leave much left to think about. Except light. Just light._

_She got more and more disheartened as two Hufflepuffs got their wands to light up to. With that in mind, she closed her eyes and tried to push all thoughts out. 'Only think of light: bright, warm – no, that's not light. Light can be cold. Light is bright, it shines…' and then Lily began to think of how she felt about light, how she felt when thinking about light._

_Thinking of that, she opened her eyes and said, "__**Lumos!**__"_

_The tip of her wand lit up in such a display that she almost dropped it. Seamus got such a shock that he fell down from his chair, dropping his wand in the process. Normally Lily would have teased him, but there was something different with the way her wand was shining. For one; it was __**very**__ bright – much more so than Professor Flitwicks. Secondly; whereas the other students had gotten their wand to emit white light, with varying shades of yellow, and the Charms Professor had emitted lemon-yellow from his wand, Lily's wand was emitting an almost vibrant scarlet colour._

"_Oh my!" Flitwicks squeaky voice sounded, followed by his hurried steps towards The-Girl-Who-Lived. The room had become very quiet, as everyone was staring towards them and the scarlet light._

"_P-professor? What did I do wrong?" Lily stammered, looking a little frightful at her wand._

"_Wrong? You've done nothing wrong, my girl. It looks like you've more than inherited your mother's talent!" he clapped excitedly. "Class, this is indeed the Lumos charm, but as you can see, it looks nothing like what my own or your classmates did. This is what an overcharged Lumos looks like. My girl, it looks like you have to practice to __**dim**__ the light, where your classmates have to __**brighten**__ theirs."_

- Flashback End -

After having helped Seamus cast the spell – his was the same dim light as the rest of the class – she had worked hard on trying to dim the scarlet light. Seamus swore he thought it looked more orange than scarlet at the end of the class, but Lily knew he had done it more to make her happy than anything else.

The Potions class – or meeting Professor Snape she should rather say – had been interesting, and that's saying it mildly. From the second the Potions Master had entered the smelly classroom, he had had a scowl etched on his face. He had torn into Ron right away, asking questions that she knew wasn't covered in the book. After that he had been biased during the whole period, helping the Slytherins far more than the Gryffindors. To Lily's chagrin he had paid especially much attention to Malfoy for some reason, while he sneered at the Gryffindors for no reason. That is, everyone except her.

It was like he pretended that she didn't exist. He ignored her totally and completely, unless she spoke up and asked him a question directly. And that was without looking at her. The one time she had caught him _actually_ looking at her, he had had such sorrow and regret in his eyes that she had frozen. That was quickly replaced by fury, and she looked away, not daring to try and catch his eye again.

After the double period in Potions the first Friday of the term, Lily left the classroom close to tears. You would think that growing up with the Dursleys, and having no friends would make her immune to being ignored like that, but Snape... he looked and ignored her in a way she had never been treated like before. It almost seemed like he blamed her for something she hadn't done, and made her feel so guilty. And while Lily had worn a distraught expression on her face as she exited the room, an angry scowl was etched upon Seamus face that looked all wrong on the easy-going boy. Hermione and Dean who had followed them didn't look too happy either.

The last of the tension of Potions finally disappeared as Lily got mail from a school owl during Lunch.

_Dear Lily,_

_I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?_

_I want to hear all about your first week._

_Hagrid_

"Who's it from?" Dean asked as he scowled another spoon of soup into his mouth.

"Hagrid," Lily answered with a bright smile. "He asked if I want to come around for a cup of tea. Do you guys want to come too?"

"Hagrid?" Hermione asked. "He was the large man that escorted us to the castle from the train, right?"

Lily nodded. "Yeah, and he was also the one that gave me my Hogwarts Acceptance letter."

"Of course we'll come," Seamus answered. "We've got nothing better do, aye?"

Dean agreed right away. Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment – probably weighing losing an afternoons worth of reading to going to Hagrid's. In the end she apparently decided the afternoon was best used doing the latter.

The clock had only hit about twenty to three when Lily and her friends stood in front of the small hut that was Hagrid's home. She knew the letter had said 'around three', but twenty to three _was_ 'around' three, right? The reason they had arrived a little earlier than intended was the lack of something to keep them occupied – though Hermione did suggest studying, but the boys pulled such a face, that she didn't even bother finishing the sentence.

Entering the hut had been a bit of a challenge, thanks to the biggest dog Lily had ever seen. Given, she hadn't seen a whole lot of dogs, but the dog were almost as tall as them. Why it surprised her that the giant man would have a giant dog, she knew not.

Hagrid had tried to restrain Fang – that is what the giant dog is named – while they entered. They had only _just_ closed the door as Fang broke free from Hagrid, and jumped Seamus. Most fortunately for him, Fang was just as docile as it's owner, and the only thing that happened to the Irish wizard-in-training was getting a shower of Fang's slobber.

As soon as things had calmed down, and Hagrid had set the table with a large teapot and some rock cakes – which you really would believe were made of rocks! – Lily decided to introduce her new friends.

"This is Seamus Finnigan, Hermione Granger, and Dean Thomas," Lily told Hagrid, motioning to each of her friends as she said their name. Each of them responded with a small 'hi'.

"Hmm, can' say I rec'onize yer names, and I've worked her' for over fifty years," the giant man said as he pet his equally large dog. "You all muggl'born?"

While Hermione nodded shyly, and Dean shrugged awkwardly, it was Seamus who answered. "Nah, I'm half-and-half. My Mam's a witch, but my Dad's a muggle. You wouldn't recognize my name, since it's my fathers."

"I don't know if I'm muggleborn or not," Dean answered while politely nipping to the teeth-breaking cakes. "My dad left my mother when I was a kid. I've got no proof he was a wizard, though."

After that, they went on to speaking about the impression of Hogwarts after the first week. As they spoke about Charms Class, Hagrid's eyes widened, as Hermione looked just a little bit jealous of the feat of magic Lily had done. It was Seamus who spoke about their potions class, and told them in no uncertain terms what he thought of Snape (Hagrid tried to correct him to use Snape's Professor title, but gave up after the fourth time. Seamus did have the decency to mutter a 'sorry' each time he hadn't used the title). While he spoke, Lily could feel the uncomfortable feelings she had gotten during potions resurface.

"Professor Snape migh' not be the nicest o' people, but Dumbledore trust 'im," Hagrid said with a tone that said that that was the end of discussion. He then turned to Lily. "How's tha' egg o' yours? It mus' be close to hatching by now."

"It's well, I think. It's getting warmer and warmer, so I don't think it can be that much longer." As she answered she saw Dean's perplexed look. Right; he hadn't seen the egg yet.

"Is that what you keep in that cage in our dormitory?" Hermione asked, but didn't really give Lily time to answer the question. "I must be honest that I have been wondering what was inside it. What kind of egg is it?"

Lily shrugged. "Some kind of bird." That caused the bushy-haired girl to sport a frown. "Relax Hermione; I don't know _what_ it will hatch into, other than it's a bird-creature. But the owner of Eeylop's Owl Emporium _and_ Hagrid assures me that it isn't a dangerous creature."

After that, Hermione calmed down a bit, and after promising Dean that she would show him the egg once they got back to Gryffindor tower, the chatter went back to the creatures Hagrid was taking care of.

* * *

The weekend had progressed without anything big happening. Of course, Lily enjoyed spending each and every moment with her friends, whether it be studying with Hermione (which the boys begrudgingly joined), or playing wizards chest or exploring the castle with Seamus and Dean. When Hermione had asked (more like demanded) to know why they wouldn't study more, Dean and Seamus had looked at her like she was crazy. Slowly they had told her that the words 'Studying' and 'Studied' held warnings in them. She of course didn't understand what they were saying, until Seamus had said 'Stu**dying**' and 'Stu**died**'.

On Monday morning, a very reluctant Lily had only just stepped into the Gryffindor Common Room, before a _very_ excited Seamus appeared in front of her. He was almost jumping on the spot as he greeted her 'Good Morning'.

"Good morning," Lily chuckled back. "What has gotten you into such good spirit? If you haven't forgotten, we have potions the first period." A dark shadow flashed over his face, but it was replaced by joy a moment after.

"Our first flying lesson has been announced! Look!" Seamus said, dragging her over to the notice-board. He pointed excitedly at the notice that said 'First-Year flying lessons will begin Wednesday, 3.30 P.M'.

She felt that little ball of excitement grow in her stomach: while flying lessons wasn't something she feared, it wasn't exactly something she looked particular forward to. It turned to dread when she saw which house the Gryffindor first-years would be learning together with the Slytherin first-years. They had been lucky so far: The Gryffindor first-years only shared potions with the Slytherins.

"Aww, come on. Why _that_ look?" Seamus asked with mock hurt. "I know you don't really know how to fly, but I promise; it will be the time of your life."

"Yeah, I know, it's just..." Lily pointed at the part of the notice that told them they were going to be learning with the Slytherins. "I really don't look forward to spending time with Draco Malfoy. It's just what I wanted: to make a fool of myself in front of Malfoy."

"You'll not make a fool of yourself."

Lily rolled eyes at her friend. "That's easy for you to say. You always tell stories of you zooming around the countryside 'back home'. Everyone from a Wizarding family has tried to fly at least once."

"Neville hasn't!" Seamus declared happily, as if he thought that was going to win him the argument. Lily just gave him a deadpanned look: they all knew why Neville's Gran hadn't let him near a broom. Neville was perfectly capable of getting injured with his feet firm on the ground. "Oh, right..."

At least she wasn't the only one who was nervous. As they arrived at breakfast, they could see that Neville was just, if not a lot more, nervous than Lily had, for previous stated reason. Since flying wasn't something you could learn through books, their bookfanatic of a friend, Hermione, was quite unnerved too. Still, she tried to learn anything she could from a library book named '_Quidditch Through the Ages_', and Neville was hanging on to every word she muttered like it could save him.

Her small lecture was only interrupted by the arrival of the mail, during which a barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball roughly the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of swirling white smoke.

"It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things—this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red—oh…" His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "…you've forgotten something…"

Lily quickly faked a cough to cover up her laughter, as to not hurt the forgetful boy's feelings. The boys of their year weren't as thoughtful, and fell out of their seats laughing. They had only _just_ gathered themselves, when Neville said with a distraught look on his face, "The only problem is, I can't remember what I've forgotten!" That of course started another fit of laughter, and even Lily couldn't completely hide her amusement. Hermione was already back to reading her book.

It was at precisely three thirty in the afternoon that the first-year Gryffindor and Slytherin stood in a field, at the opposite side of the grounds than the Dark Forest.

"Good afternoon, class," their teacher, Madam Hooch, greeted. She had spiky grey hair which was cut short and had piercing, yellow, hawk-like eyes.

"Good afternoon, Madam Hooch," the class greeted back.

"Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well, what're you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick." It quickly became clear that like Professor McGonagall, Madam Hooch was a no-nonsense teacher. She wasn't unkind, but she didn't want to waste time on trivial and unimportant things.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" everyone shouted.

Lily, as well as her friends, were surprised when her broom didn't hesitate, but flew straight up to her hand as the first in the class. That was in contrast to the brooms her friends had gotten; while Seamus' broom _very_ slowly and almost relunctantly started to levitate towards his hand, Hermione's and Dean's just rolled on the grass. Neville's broom was the only broom that didn't move at all.

Madam Hooch then showed them the proper way to grip the broom. Lily was amused when Madam Hooch told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years – so much for all his bragging.

"Now, once you got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it," Madam Hooch instructed them. "And grip it tight! You don't want to be sliding off the end." Ok, so Lily hadn't needed to hear that last part. "When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, then lean forward slightly and touch back down."

It was finally time to actually fly – even if it only was a few feet in the air and back – and Lily could feel the nerves yet again. But just as Madam Hooch was about to blow her whistle, signaling that they could take off, Neville lost control of his broom. First it just started to levitate slowly, but soon it was shooting off across the field. After a minute of stomach-turning stunts, Neville lost his grip and fell hard to the ground. Madam Hooch was beside him in less than a second.

"Broken wrist," Lily could hear her mutter. "Come on, boy – it's all right, up you get." She turned to the rest of the class. "None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."

That said, Madam Hooch escorted a sobbing Neville, who was clutching his now broken wrist, towards the castle. They had only _just_ gotten out of hearing range when Malfoy burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

That's all it took for the other Slytherins to join in. They started laughing and make joke on Neville's expense. None of the Gryffindors seemed to be enjoying it, and while Lily sported a frown, she was close to seething inside.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little cry-babies, Parvati."

If Lily hadn't spotted Neville's Remembrall lying in the grass, she might actually have done something. But before she could take it, Malfoy snatched it from right under her hand.

"Look!" Draco said, showing the Remembrall to his classmates. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him. Maybe if he had remembered to give this a squeeze, the great lump might've remembered to fall on his fat ass." The Slytherins laughed as Lily stepped forward, feeling courage she normally didn't possess.

"Give it back, Malfoy." As if in a movie, everybody stopped speaking and watched the two.

Malfoy smiled nastily. "No. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. How about up in a tree?" With that he leapt onto his broomstick and took off.

Even if Malfoy had _handled_ his broom wrong, it became very evident that he hadn't been completely lying. He _could_ fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"

In a rare moment of not thinking, Lily grabbed her own broom and took off, absentmindedly hearing someone telling her not to.

And the nerves disappeared. This wasn't hard at all. This was _easy_ and wonderful. As she pulled her broomstick up a little to take it higher, she caught sight of her friends. Seamus was standing there with a dumbstruck look, before flashing her his grin, and giving her the thumbs up. She turned her broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked as stunned as she was surprised.

"Give it up, Malfoy, or I'll knock you off that broom!" Lily threatened the boy who had insulted her dead parents.

"Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried. It looked like he needed a bit of convincing.

On instinct, Lily leaned forward and grasped the broom tighter in both hands. It shot towards Malfoy in a great show of speed. The Slytherin only just got out of the way in time. Lily turned her broom, seeing the shock on Malfoy's face. She raised her right eyebrow, and could feel a smirk on her own face. It was weird; while she didn't usually feel courage on the ground, on a broom she felt like home. The sky was her home, and Malfoy was an invader.

"What's the matter Malfoy? No Crabbe and Goyle to back you up like last time?" Lily taunted. It seemed the same thought had struck Malfoy, because right then he switched tactics.

"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.

Lily didn't waste a second and shot after it. She revered in the feeling of the wind whipping her face – though her hair quickly became annoying, as it covered her eyes for fractions of seconds. She caught up to the Remembrall, and caught it just outside one of the many windows of the castle. She had barely landed, her friends congratulating her, when Professor McGonagall walked out onto the field with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Lily Potter, come with me."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Chapter four done.

Now, I want to make something clear before someone goes off on a rant about it; while Lily does have a strong magical core – as shown in the charm lesson – she isn't going to be 'almighty and powerful' like that. She will excel in Charms, as it will be her best subject, but that's it.

Next chapter the egg will finally hatch; I hope you look forward to it as much as I do.

Until Next Time.


	5. Rising from the Ashes Pt 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not to claim anything of the Harry Potter universe. All right are owned and reserved for J. K. Rowling – the mastermind that made up the Harry Potter universe.

**Author's Note:** Hello all my readers! Sorry for being so late on an update, but I've had a lot going on in my life – and still do. I'm currently at the hospital getting ready to get an operation the 10th of June, so my thoughts have been elsewhere. I do promise in the future, however, that I will try my best to have a new chapter out at least once every two weeks.

Now, on to answering some reviews:

I'm glad that not all of you think it's creepy and disturbing that Meredith wants to be called Lily to feel closer to her mother. Actually it's a very small minority who thinks that. I was starting to think _I_ was disturbed because I thought it was ok. Well, I might still be a bit disturbed, but a least now I know that it didn't mislead me in this particular situation.

One or two of my reviewers has also voiced their opinion that so far With a Swish and a Flick has followed canon rather closely – too closely for some opinions. I do agree with you that these first chapters there has been little to no divergence – I mean, sure, Harry is a girl, and he has some different friends and skills, but nothing to change the plot as such. It will happen, bit by bit, but this story will follow the canon storyline as its baseline. That said, the story should start to feel more original from Chapter 4 and onwards.

Finally, you lot seem to be asking about that egg rather much. Can't say I blame you: I've read a story or two where I wanted to know something really much too. I won't say what will hatch from the egg, but as I said in the last chapter, you will find out in this chapter. I still haven't made a big deal about making it a mystery, since it wouldn't stay that for long (we're only at Chapter 5, and it's hatching).

Onwards to the story now!

**Chapter 5:** Rising from the Ashes Pt. 1

* * *

- Flashback -

_It was a very quiet and stunned Lily who walked through the portrait to the Gryffindor Common room. All her friends were waiting – no, not only her friends, her whole year. It seems that when a Gryffindor goes up against a Slytherin, everyone in the house supports you. She had barely entered the Common room before she was bombarded with questions._

"_Are you ok?"_

"_You didn't get expelled, did you?"_

"_That Snake deserved it!"_

"_You should've been awarded points for that flying!"_

"_Oi! Give her some space!" Lily finally looked up at the last statement. It was Seamus, and he looked a mighty bit worried. "You didn't get expelled, did you? I mean, I know she said we would get expelled if we even touched the brooms while she was gone, but she must've been exaggerating, right? I haven't heard of anyone getting expelled for just that, right? Surely she wouldn't expel you... She can't expel you, can she? Only Headmaster Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall can-"_

_He was rambling, she realized, because he was worried because of her. He was so cute when he rambled. She put a hand on his mouth to get him to stop talking, and giggled a bit._

"_No, I didn't get expelled... In fact, I didn't get punished at all."_

_Hermione frowned. "What do you mean?"_

_She gave her friends a crooked smile. "Well... Professor McGonagall towed me through the castle while telling me how irresponsible I had been, how I could've gotten myself killed. I was pretty sure she was taking me to the Headmaster's office, to inform him of what happened. Instead she took me to Professor Quirrell classroom, and got Oliver Wood excused from class-"_

_Her story was interrupted by Ron Weasley, who gasped._

"_Isn't he the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain?" Lily nodded, a slow smile spreading across her face. By now it was clear to everyone that Lily __**hadn't**__ gotten into trouble, but it was clear that __**something**__ had happened._

"_Yeah, he is," Lily answered. "And you're looking at the new Gryffindor Seeker."_

"_You're __**joking**__." Ron was looking at her with disbelief, and, if she was seeing things right, a tiny bit of jealousy._

"_Seeker?" Seamus asked, as to be completely sure. She nodded again._ _"But first years __**never**__ – you must be the youngest house player in-"_

"_-in a century – according to Professor McGonagall," Lily nodded with a stupid grin plastered on her face._

- Flashback End -

The 'broom-incident', as Seamus had taken to call it, had happened one month ago, and they were now in the middle of October. Lily had found it quite hilarious when Draco, quite arrogantly, had come to the Gryffindor table at lunch the next day, asking her if she was enjoying her last meal. Before she or her friends had been able to retort, Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell had walked by and congratulated her on making the Quidditch Team. Seamus hadn't been able to eat for the next couple of minutes – he laughed too hard at the miffed expression that had appeared on Malfoy's face. Of course, his expression had been nothing like that of a week later, when Lily had gotten a broom via owl post. Ron almost passed out from lack of hyperventilation when he saw it was a Nimbus Two-Thousand (Lily hadn't understood what the commotion was about, before Seamus had explained it to her).

While Lily loved flying, and could easily see herself enjoying playing Quidditch quite much, she still didn't understand the hype about the game. Ron had kept talking and talking about all the different Quidditch teams, different tournaments, and everything related to Quidditch once he had gotten over the shock of her making Seeker. Apparently, in his world, playing the game was the same as being a complete fanatic of it. No, Lily was still Lily, and would much rather sit in a comfortable chair, reading a book.

This was what she was doing at the moment... kind of. Lily was still trying to get her over-charged charms under control.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!_"

With a swish and a flick, the white feather rose steadily into the air, at which point she cut off the spell... only to have the feather _stay put_ in the air.

"This is impossible!" Lily lamented as Seamus fell down from his chair, laughing so hard he had trouble breathing. Lily turned a mock glare at him. "Quiet you." The only problem was that he wasn't the only one laughing – though the other students in the Gryffindor Common Room had the decency to only snicker lowly to each other.

"It is highly peculiar..." Hermione mused as she looked up at the feather – which, by the way, showed no sign of falling down. Lily sighed and stood up, grabbed the feather, and put it on the table. Her left eye ticked as the feather, rather defiantly, rose up to the same spot. This sent Seamus into another fit of laughter, just as he had gotten it under control.

"It isn't funny!" Lily said with a pout on her face, as she let herself fall into the chair again, and crossed her arms. "I've been trying to get my charms under control since our first lesson. So far there has been no improvement."

"Well, if you didn't have to work on it, I don't think it would be fair to the rest of us," Dean said from across the table, currently working his way through a Transfiguration Essay. "Hey, what was the fifth aspect of the transformation formula apart from body weight, wand power, concentration, and the fifth unknown variable?"

"Viciousness," Lily and Hermione answered simultaneously. Catching the other girl's eye, they both smirked at each other. They had a friendly rivalry going on when it came to classes. While Lily had proved herself better at Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts, Hermione clearly had a better grasp on Transfiguration and potions (not that Snape would ever admit that).

Lily turned a questioned look at her other male friend (the first still trying to get his breathing under control). "And what do you mean about it only being fair?"

"I mean," Dean answered with a smile on his lips, "that if you didn't have to work on the power level of your charms, then you would probably be learning the third-year charms by now. Honestly, we aren't supposed to start working on Wingardium Leviosa before next week, and Professor Flitwick only expects us to have made _progress_ by Halloween."

Lily smiled sheepishly as her eyes darted from Dean, to the feather (still floating in the air), and back to Dean again. "I guess I see your point. It's still annoying though."

"Then you know how the rest of us feel about school-work – well, except from Hermione, I guess," Seamus said, finally able to speak again. Lily just rolled her eyes at him, as the feather finally floated down to the table.

"Well, it's an improvement," Hermione noted. "This time it only took it a little over a minute to the spell to disperse."

* * *

"That insufferable, ignorant, little git! I swear, one of these days I'm going to hex his pink degraded bits off, and make him swallow them whole!" Seamus stared a little wide-eyed with awe at his best friend.

"I've never heard you swear like that before," he said, trying hard to hide his snickers. He failed.

Lily turned and glared at Seamus. "He freakin' made my hair _blue_! Do you have any idea how long it's going to take to wash it out? And that was if it was normal hair-dye – this is because he blew up my cauldron!"

It was Friday, which meant double-period potions with the Slytherins – Lily really didn't like Fridays. Of course, this particular Friday was so much worse than all the others. Why? Draco Malfoy had apparently decided that it had been too long since he had bothered The-Girl-Who-Lived, so what better way to celebrate it than by throwing a handful of ingredients into her potions cauldron, and watch it blow up in her face. Whether he had made her hair blue on purpose or not, she wasn't sure about.

And not just a faint shade of blue – no, it was bright **neon**blue!

In any case, it had gotten the desired effect as she had shrieked loudly, and had almost grabbed her wand to hex the git. Snape had stopped her – still acting toward her like he had always done – and had taken ten points from Gryffindor for blowing up her potion, and five points for trying to hex another student.

"Come on," Seamus said, punching her lightly on the shoulder. "It could be worse."

"Shay," Lily said through gritted teeth. "My. Hair. Is. _**BLUE!**_ I hope that Snake stays far, _far_ away from me for a long time, else he'll know just how powerful my charms and hexes can be!"

At that threat Seamus gulped lightly. It wasn't often something got a rile out of Lily – she was really into that 'turning the other cheek' stuff – but when someone did, they really got proof that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. That her charms were as powerful as they were only made it so much more frightening.

Still casting careful glances at his friend, he hesitantly asked, "Do you need any help?"

"No," Lily sighed, seemingly coming down from her rant. "Just go ahead to lunch. I'll find a bathroom somewhere and see if I can get this mess washed out."

Seamus agreed right away, and ran to catch up with Hermione and Dean. Lily walked straight to the first floor where she remembered seeing a lavatory, glaring at whomever she crossed that laughed. Muttering to herself, going through all the hexes she would use on Draco Malfoy, she entered the first-floor girl's bathroom.

"Maybe the tooth-growing hex… could serve him right with his oh-so-perfect appearance. Maybe a good stinging hex for good measure… And the scalping hex, as a finishing act… That should shut the insufferable git up." She tried to rinse the blue colour out of her hair, only getting annoyed that the first sink she went to didn't work. A working sink wasn't much better – close to no colour was in the water as it had passed through her hair... which meant none of the colour was coming off. She narrowed her eyes dangerously, "And just maybe the slug-vomiting. Let's see how many wants to be your friend once you vomit snails up on their feet."

"Who's there!?" Lily bolted up from her bent position over the sink, effectively soaking her robes with her wet hair.

"This day just gets better and better, doesn't it?" she despairingly sighed. A moment later a ghost of a girl not much older than her appeared.

"You! Why are you here? Are you here to tease me? Are you here to make fun of me?"

"No?" Lily half asked. "Sorry if I disturbed you… I was trying to get the colour out of my hair." The ghost just seemed to float there for a moment, gauging her. "Sorry," Lily apologized again. "If I knew you were in here, I would've asked first."

That seemed to surprise the ghost. "You would?"

"Of course… _Do_ you mind if I try to get some of the colour out of my hair here?"

"I guess it couldn't hurt," the transparent girl sniffed. And as Lily went back to try and get the colour out (still unsuccessfully), the ghost just floated mid-air, observing the living girl.

"I'm Lily Potter, by the way," Lily introduced herself from the sink. "What's your name?"

Again, it took a little while before the dead girl answered. "I'm… Myrtle," the ghost, Myrtle, finally answered. "Though people usually call me Moaning Myrtle…"

Lily frowned. "That's awful… Though, the students do seem to favour nicknames when it comes to the ghosts. Nick told us he didn't like his nickname either, at the welcoming feast that is. Not that I blame him. Seriously, who would want to be called 'nearly headless', anyway?"

"You're… You're not going to call me Moaning Myrtle?" the ghost asked a little disbelieving. Lily sighed as she realized that she was getting nowhere with the washing, and turned off the faucet. With bright blue hair she smiled at Myrtle.

"If you _want_ me to call you Moaning Myrtle, I'll do it. But, honestly, I don't care much for bullies." Lily went over the wall and took some paper-towels and tried to dry her hair to the best of her abilities. When she was done she turned to face Myrtle, who looked rather perplexed with the living girl. "Thank you for letting me use your bathroom. Too bad I couldn't get the dye out," she sighed at the last statement. "Anyway, see you around Myrtle."

"… See you around?"

It would take Myrtle the ghost another hour before she realized a student had actually been nice to her for the first time. And that's including when she had been alive.

* * *

She gasped as she startled awake. It took her less than a second to realize what had awakened her; the air was thick with magic. It was coming in slow pulses... originating from the cage and the egg. Lily's eyes widened as she saw the egg glow red, steadily getting brighter and brighter. She quickly jumped out of bed, momentarily confused about what to do. Then she remembered; fire. She needed to get it into a fire. There was a fire in the Common Room. Thinking as quickly as she could, she went over to Hermione's bed.

"Hermione," she whispered as loudly as she dared without waking Parvati or Lavender. Hermione's forehead creased at the sound of her whisper, but she didn't wake. "Hermione!" Lily tried a little louder, successfully rousing the bushy haired girl from her sleep.

"Lily?" Hermione asked groggily. "Is something wrong? Are you ok?"

Lily nodded excitedly. "It's happening!" Hermione just looked at the presently blue-haired girl like she was crazy. "My egg!" Lily clarified. "My egg, it's hatching!" That quickly woke Hermione completely up.

With Hermione right behind her, Lily quickly tiptoed over to her cage and picked it up. She got surprised at how hot it felt – it was a heat-resistant cage, after all. But it was nothing worth stopping over: Mr. Eeylop had explicitly said the egg needed to be in a fire when it hatched – and it looked pretty darn close to hatching.

The two girls quickly hurried down into the empty Common-room, and ran over to the extinct hearth. Lily briefly wondered if the wood logs had the same enchantment on them as the coals in the cage had, but was pushed out of her musing by another wave of magic from the egg. It tickled her arm as the hair at the back of her neck stood on end. Hermione's eyes widened as she felt it too.

"Watch over it for a minute, will you?" Lily asked and put down the cage by the hearth. "I need to go and wake Seamus and Dean."

"Sure, go," Hermione agreed, as she squat down to inspect the egg. Less than two minutes later two very groggy boys were being towed down the stairs by Lily.

"Blimey, Lils, do you know what time it is?" Seamus asked as he yawned.

"Well, my clock said two thirty last time it checked, but it might be five minutes ahead of time," Lily joked.

"Ugh, too early for jokes," Dean complained. "Why'd you drag us down here anyway?"

"The egg is hatching." As it had Hermione minutes earlier, the news of the egg hatching woke the two boy's right up. It wasn't before they stood right in front of the cage, however, that they responded.

Seamus let out a long whistle. "That's some magic getting ejected there, it is."

"Are you sure it's safe?" Dean said as he squat down beside Hermione, looking at the Egg he had seen only once before. "Anything with that much power in it, is usually dangerous."

"I don't think it is," Lily said as she walked over to the hearth. "Both Mr. Eeylop and Hagrid said it wasn't dangerous."

"No offense to Hagrid, but I don't think he is the best person to judge how dangerous an animal is," Hermione said carefully. "After all, he talks about wanting to get a dragon." She shuddered at the thought.

Lily bit her lip thoughtfully, "You may have a point about Hagrid. Still, I'm pretty sure the egg isn't dangerous. Our entire luggage had to go through some kind of check-out before being let into the castle, right?" Hermione nodded. "They wouldn't let a student, much less a first-year, keep anything remotely dangerous."

That seemed to convince Hermione – and with her convinced, the boys soon followed suit. Lily thought it was quite amusing how trusting Hermione was, once it had something to do with authority. It possibly had something to do with authority being the buck-teethed girl's only friend growing up – quite the opposite of Lily's childhood.

"_Incendio!_" The-Girl-Who-Lived said the incantation, her wand pointed at the hearth. Flames sprouted out from the tip of her wand, setting the logs on fire right away.

"You know," Seamus started wryly, eyeing the slight scorch marks on the side of the fireplace. "That spell has gotten a great deal stronger since the train ride." Lily just shrugged and turned to the cage. As soon as she opened it, however, the four students fell back right away, Lily hissing as she burned her hand.

"Blimey, how does the egg survive in there?" Dean said, his hands moving to check if his eyebrows were still intact. No-one answered him, each of his friend also checking if any of their body parts had been burned.

"Hermione, do you think you can levitate the egg into the fire? I would do it myself, but you know how defiant objects get when I levitate them." The muggle-born witch quickly agreed and levitated the egg out of the cage. The moment the egg touched the fire, an enormous pulse of magic was expulsed from it, knocking the four first-years straight off their feet.

"You sure it's nothing dangerous?" Dean asked a little frightened – not that Lily blamed him. But she couldn't explain it; she just _knew_ that the egg wasn't dangerous.

"Yeah, maybe we should get a teacher, just to be sure..." it came from Seamus, who was actually agreeing with his best male friend than Lily.

"I don't know..." Lily said slowly, but before she could finish, another _large_ pulse was expulsed from the egg. A moment after, shuffling and muted talking could be heard from the dorms up the stairs. Lily winced when she realized that at least a couple of other students woke up the same way she had. Just as yet another pulse of magic was expulsed – again stronger than, and closer to, its predecessor – people appeared on the stairs to the dormitories.

"What is going on down here!? You should all be in bed!" Percy Weasley's voice sounded. Lily scrunched up her nose; she still couldn't believe she actually looked up to him at the start of the year. Even if she personally hadn't been confronted by him, she had found him quite arrogant and condescending when he had reprimanded others. Even now he sounded like he already knew what they were going to answer, and he was ready to punish them.

"Percy! Give them a chance to answer- What _is_ that!?" That was the other fifth-year prefect, Selene Foresst. Lily had decided that she was much more reasonable.

"It's my egg! It's about to hatch," Lily answered, looking at Selene, not Percy.

Percy just scowled. "Get it out of the fire-"

"NO!" it sounded from all four first-years, as yet another pulse of magic hit them. This time there was a distinct hum sound following it.

"Lily? Hermione? What is going on?" Selene asked the two girls, throwing a glare at Percy, freezing him in place. "You know what will happen if it's anything dangerous, right?"

"It's my egg! I got it at Eeylop's Owl Emporium-"

"That's not an owl egg! How stupid do you think we are!?" Percy said.

"She's coming to that, idiot," Selene shot at Percy, before looking at Lily again. "Right?"

"Yeah... As I said, I got it at Eeylop's Owl Emporium. He said my dad bought it when he... before he..." Lily quickly got uncomfortable talking about her deceased parent. Seamus sensed it and grabbed her hand right away. She threw a smile at him. "My dad bought, but since he hadn't been able to pick it up, Mr. Eeylop kept it all these years until he could give it to me."

"But how-" Percy started, but was interrupted by Lily.

"And I know it isn't dangerous because not only did Mr. Eeylop and Hagrid say so, but I didn't smuggle it into the school: it went through the same check all my baggage did. Surely whomever does those checks wouldn't pass anything dangerous onto a _first-year_... right?" the last question was directed at Selene. Selene, however, didn't get to answer.

Multiple things happened in a very short time. The largest wave of magic yet was thrown from the egg, knocking over the cage, causing it to spill the still lit coals onto the carpet. The portrait also opened, and through it walked the headmaster and the deputy headmistress, followed by a _phoenix!_ And lastly, right after the wave had been expulsed, a crack as loud as thunder sounded, followed by a high-pitched screech. Though, screech probably wasn't the right way to describe the sound: it was _pleasant_.

"What in the Merlin's name is going on here? Why are you not in bed?" Professor McGonagall asked sternly, as one of the fourth-year boys Lily didn't know pointed his wand at the coals and muttered '_Exstinctum_', putting out the fire that was about to start. But Lily, not any of her three friends, paid any attention to that. They were all staring in awe at the small bird that sat in the now extinguished hearth, which were looking with large (large for its size anyway), black eyes at Lily.

Lily's Wizarding pet was a phoenix.

* * *

**Author's Note:** And there you go: chapter 5 done for ya. Sorry if it's not up to par with the other chapters, or if it seems a little jumpy. As I said, I do have some other things on mind at the moment. That's also the reason it has 1k words less than the other chapters.

That said, I do still hope you liked it. I guess you didn't see her little conversation with Myrtle come, huh? I actually feel bad for Myrtle: no-one has ever really liked her, or even treated her nicely as a ghost. And for what we've heard in the books, she wasn't treated well when she was alive either. Lily being naturally nice to everybody – except against those who are mean to her, or threaten her friends – wouldn't tease Myrtle, of course.

In the bathroom scene you also got to see that while Lily is nice and all that, she really can turned wicked if she wants to. And it isn't exactly empty threats she throws – it is _very_ likely that she knows those hexes.

I hope you liked the hatching scene. Next chapter there will be an explanation why so much magic was thrown around during it – and in my head it makes sense when you think about the nature of a phoenix. Hope you liked my OC, Selene Foresst. I really tried to research if we ever got a name on the Gryffindor who was name prefect alongside Percy, but I just couldn't find any. So I decided to make one up. She will be a reoccurring character – at least until she graduates from Hogwarts (which is still quite a while).

Then, I need help naming Lily's new Phoenix. I can just as well say that it's a girl – which Phoenix' normally are in mythology – and I want her to have a special, and beautiful name. I tried to look through a Latin dictionary to look for a meaningful name, but gosh that was hard. I have a couple of names, most of them Latin, two of them not, that I want your opinion on. When I've heard your feedback (and suggestions if you have any), I'm going to throw up a poll on my profile. Check in, in a few days, and throw your vote.

Anyway, here are the names.

_Aria_ – meaning 'a beautiful melody'. I thought this name could be good in reference to the phoenix song.

_Aurora_ – meaning 'beautiful dawn'.

_Ceres_ – meaning 'The Roman goddess of corn and tillage.'

_Juno_ – meaning 'The heavenly one. The wife of Jupiter in Roman mythology.'

_Olive/Olivia_ – meaning 'An Olive tree or branch. A symbol of peace.'

And finally _Vegas_ – meaning 'the meadows'. (In anyone doesn't know how to pronounce this, it's 'Vega', without the 's').

Well, that's really all I have for this time. I hope you will give me your honest opinion on the chapter, and I hope I'll be able to update soon. Until next time!


End file.
